Methods, Systems, and Computer Program Products for Multi-Path Shortest-Path-First Computations and Distance-Based Interface Selection for Voip Traffic

1. A method for obtaining a ranked list of paths to a destination IP device across a data network based on path costs, the method comprising: (a) providing, in a source media gateway for providing an interface between disparate telecommunications networks, a multi-path router instance associated with a plurality of network interfaces in the source media gateway; (b) assigning a cost to each of a plurality of internal segments within the source media gateway, wherein the internal segments comprise segments between the multi-path router instance within the source media gateway and the network interfaces within the source media gateway associated with the multi-path router instance; and (c) using the multi-path router instance: (i) calculating an aggregate cost, including internal and external segment costs, for each of a plurality of traffic paths originating at the multi-path router instance in the source media gateway and extending through each of the network interfaces associated with the multi-path router instance to a destination IP device in the network, wherein external segments comprise segments that are not internal segments; (ii) generating a list of the traffic paths and ranking the paths in the list based on the calculated costs; (iii) sending traffic from the source media gateway over at least one of the paths in the list; and (iv) updating the path costs and rankings in response to segment cost changes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a multi-path router instance includes providing a multi-path shortest path first (SPF) router instance configured to participate in an SPF protocol.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning a cost to each of a plurality of internal segments includes assigning the costs so that the aggregate costs of the traffic paths are substantially equal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning a cost to each of a plurality of internal segments includes assigning the costs to direct outgoing packets to or away from at least one of the traffic paths.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating the aggregate path cost for each of a plurality of paths includes using external network path cost information stored in an Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) link state database.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating the aggregate path cost for each of a plurality of paths includes using external network path cost information stored in a Traffic Engineering OSPF (TE-OSPF) link state database.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein sending traffic over at least one of the paths includes sending traffic over a lowest cost path and selecting a path with next lowest cost from the plurality of paths in the event that a failure is reported on the lowest cost path.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein sending traffic over at least one of the paths includes redistributing the traffic among available lowest cost paths using load balancing methods in the event that a failure is reported on one of a plurality of lowest cost paths.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising generating a plurality of ranked path lists using a plurality of multi-path router instances in the source media gateway.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating an aggregate cost for each of a plurality of network traffic paths includes assigning a shortest path first (SPF) node identifier to each of the network interfaces.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising advertising the costs of the internal segments to at least one external network device.

12. A system for obtaining a ranked list of paths from a media gateway to a destination IP device across a data network based on path costs, the system comprising: a source media gateway for providing an interface between disparate telecommunications networks, the source media gateway including: (a) a plurality of network interfaces in the source media gateway for sending media packets to and receiving media packets from a network; (b) a multi-path router instance in the source media gateway associated with the plurality of network interfaces; (c) a plurality of internal segments within the source media gateway, wherein the internal segments comprise segments between the multi-path router instance and the network interfaces in the source media gateway, each of the internal segments being assigned a cost; and (d) wherein the multi-path router instance is adapted to calculate an aggregate path cost, including internal and external segment costs, wherein external segments comprise segments that are not internal segments, for traffic paths to a destination IP device from the multi-path router instance, through the internal segment within the source media gateway, through each of the network interfaces, to create a list of traffic paths to the destination IP device, to rank the paths in the list based on the costs, and to forward traffic to the destination IP device using at least one of the paths.

13. The system of claim 12 the multi-path router instance comprises a multi-path shortest path first (SPF) router instance configured to participate in a shortest path first protocol.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of internal segments is assigned a cost such that the aggregate costs of the traffic paths are substantially equal.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of internal segments is assigned a cost to direct outgoing packets to or away from at least one of the traffic paths.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the multi-path router instance is adapted to use external network path cost information stored in an Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) link state database in calculating the aggregate path cost for each of the paths.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the multi-path router instance is adapted to use external network path cost information stored in a Traffic Engineering Open Shortest Path First (TE-SPF) link state database in calculating the aggregate path cost for each of the paths.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein, in sending traffic over at least one of the paths, the multi-path router instance is adapted to send the traffic over a lowest cost path and to select a path with next lowest cost from the plurality of paths in the event that a failure is reported on the lowest cost path.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein, in sending traffic over at least one of the paths, the multi-path router instance is adapted to redistribute the traffic among available lowest cost paths using load balancing methods in the event that a failure is reported on one of a plurality of lowest cost paths.

20. The system of claim 12 comprising generating a plurality of ranked path lists using a plurality of multi-path router instances in the source media gateway.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein, in calculating an aggregate cost for each of a plurality of network traffic paths, the multi-path router instance is adapted to assign a shortest path first (SPF) node identifier to each of the network interfaces.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the multi-path router instance is adapted to advertise the costs of the internal segments to at least one external network device.

23. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising: (a) providing, in a source media gateway for providing an interface between disparate telecommunications networks, a multi-path router instance associated with a plurality of network interfaces in the source media gateway; (b) assigning a cost to each of a plurality of internal segments within the source media gateway, wherein the internal segments comprise segments between the multi-path router instance within the source media gateway and the network interfaces in the source media gateway associated with the multi-path router instance; and (c) using the multi-path router instance: (i) calculating an aggregate cost, including internal and external segment costs, wherein external segments comprise segments that are not internal segments, for each of a plurality of traffic paths originating at the multi-path router instance in the source media gateway and extending through each of the network interfaces associated with the multi-path router instance to a destination IP device in the network; (ii) generating a list of the traffic paths and ranking the paths in the list based on the calculated costs; (iii) sending traffic from the source media gateway over at least one of the paths in the list; and (iv) updating the path costs and rankings in response to segment cost changes.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein providing a multi-path router instance includes providing a multi-path shortest path first (SPF) router instance configured to participate in a shortest path first protocol.

25. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein assigning a cost to each of a plurality of internal segments includes assigning the costs so that the aggregate costs of the traffic paths are substantially equal.

26. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein assigning a cost to each of a plurality of internal segments includes assigning the costs to direct outgoing packets to or away from at least one of the traffic paths.

27. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein calculating the aggregate path cost for each of a plurality of paths includes using external network path cost information stored in an Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) link state database.

28. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein calculating the aggregate path cost for each of a plurality of paths includes using external network path cost information stored in a Traffic Engineering OSPF (TE-OSPF) link state database.

29. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein sending traffic over at least one of the paths includes sending traffic over a lowest cost path and selecting a path with next lowest cost from the plurality of paths in the event that a failure is reported on the lowest cost path.

30. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein sending traffic over at least one of the paths includes redistributing the traffic among available lowest cost paths using load balancing methods in the event that a failure is reported on one of a plurality of lowest cost paths.

31. The computer program product of claim 23 comprising generating a plurality of ranked path lists using a plurality of multi-path router instances in the source media gateway.

32. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein calculating an aggregate cost for each of a plurality of network traffic paths includes assigning a shortest path first (SPF) node identifier to each of the network interfaces.

33. The computer program product of claim 23 comprising advertising the costs of the internal segments to at least one external network device.